Nature saved my life when I was at the lowest point in my life. I’ve had anxiety for as far back as I can remember. Some days were worse than others but I would always pretend nothing was wrong. I had just started as a full-time student in college, I had two full-time jobs, I took care of my little sister, my father who has brain damage, my now ex-boyfriend who did not drive, and paid all of the bills to keep my house of cards sustained. When my cards began to fall, I had a mental breakdown. I ended up in an outpatient behavioral hospital and was diagnosed with manic anxiety with a mood disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality(OCP), and depression that would linger as a side effect. When I would get overwhelmed I would go for a drive, but I never felt like it was helping. One day I was reaching the point of ending everything, so I pulled over into a driveway to a boat ramp on a bayou. The area was pretty wooded and I saw they had a few trails that followed the bayou. I decided to walk the trails. Then I noticed the noises and colors around me. The wildlife, the way the water trickled along the rocks, the sound of trees rustling, the colors of the wildflowers, and the way the wind felt on my face brought me into a trance. It was a trance of relaxation that I had never felt before. I had never felt so at peace as I did at that moment. Nature saved my life so I choose to volunteer for clean-up projects, plant different plants, spend time meditating in the open air, and just marvel at how beautiful life can be when nature is involved.

"You can go and try to get something that could benefit your future, create a life that you will always be proud of, and be the age you are when you complete it 2, 4, 8, or 10 years from now or you can give up, think your too old, and be 2, 4, 8, or 10 years older doing the same thing you have always done. Either way, you are going to get older, so enjoy the time you have, and create anything and everything that you are capable of creating, achieve and fail what you can, and try everything you have always been afraid of trying. Don’t ever limit your possibilities because you're scared of the future. Embrace that fear and conquer it. It might take however long it takes to get the experience, but in the end, you will be glad you did it." These were the wisest words that I had ever heard coming from an eighty-four year old student in my first ever college class. At the time, I struggled with my mental health and was so overwhelmed by the possibility of failing. I was terrified of what was ahead of me. When I heard these words, I learned that there was no reason to be afraid of my path because I was in control. I had the ability to create my own story, and my journey was well worth creating. Every time I failed and felt like I couldn’t do something, I would hear these words again so I would get up and try again. It was an honor to be able to hear these words. I have shared these words, and hopefully these words will live on through others as it did with me.

When I think about the word “generosity” I think that it means more than just the normal definition of being kind to someone. Generosity makes me think about someone like my aunt, Starla. She helped raise me to believe that giving everything you have into a situation is important to not only others but our own well-being, and “giving everything” doesn’t only mean giving material things away. It means being who we are and allowing our own natural self to show. For example, something as simple as being a positive person in a negative situation or smiling at a stranger could help someone with their day. I try to live every day with the goal to help at least one person smile, even if that person is myself because being kind to ourselves helps create positive habits for our mental health. This can make a difference to the people around us who are watching by showing them that they can allow themselves permission to be who they are without judgment and learn to love all of the person they have grown to become. Also, volunteering our time and knowledge to help others helps by showing children, who may look up to us as role models, or even complete strangers, that one small act of generosity sends a message that even the smallest part can make a big difference in a situation. This allows someone else to reenact that generosity to others which will set off the biggest domino effect of healthy and positive habits for the world. In conclusion, showing others who we really are, giving our all, loving ourselves volunteering our time and knowledge, and setting an example for others can inspire the change of kindness and generosity in the world.